Day 20!

This chapter is possibly the most important chapter of our faith.  This chapter makes all the difference between Jesus and the rest of the world’s religions.  Not just the fact that Jesus died for our sins, because many good men have died for those they loved, but the fact that Jesus rose from the grave!  This is so exciting and so important to grasp a hold of because this proves that He is God.  He has power over sin and death.  That he is all powerful.  That He keeps his word.  If he had not risen from the grave he would have been like everyone else.  But he rose and now lives in our hearts.  This is why we use the cross as a symbol of our faith.  Yes it is an object of severe suffering and pain but it is also the place where each one of us is offered new life through Him because he died in our place and rose again.  He is no longer on the cross but alive in real time in our hearts! Tomorrow as we gather together to worship, let’s worship Him in this greatness.  As we sing out our praise to Him together, let’s keep in mind His power and the life that He has within Him, He offers it us!  So I invite you to join us tomorrow with joy in your heart as praise the God who is alive!

DAY 19 - A Special Day in History

JOHN 19 - It was Passover week for the Jews, the day they celebrated the time when God "passed over" the homes of everyone who had killed a lamb and marked their front doors with the symbol of a cross (in blood).  These people were the only ones who survived God's judgement of sin, since they obeyed His command to mark their doors.  

After celebrating this Festival for many years, they now have another Lamb to kill, another cross of blood, and another opportunity for judgement to pass over humanity.   This Passover was different.  It marked history.  A perfect man, a Holy God, fulfilling hundreds of prophecies, crucified on a cross so that we may live.  

A miracle happened that day.  All of our sins were carried on Jesus' shoulders.  He gave us all the chance to receive eternal life - life with Him!  Forgiveness of sins is now available.  It was not cheap, it cost Him much pain and even death, but for us... all we need to do is believe. Really believe.  

"Jesus once again we confess that we believe in You.  Thank you for the gift of life and forgiveness!  Thank you for bridging the gap to the Father for us! Thank you for taking my every sin to the cross, so that I might know you intimately.  I believe."

Day 18 - Peter's Denial

John 18:27 - Again, Peter denied it. Just then a rooster crowed.

It tells us earlier in Scripture the story of Peter, and Jesus' prophecy to him that he would deny him 3 times during the night before the rooster crowed signifying daybreak. Every time Jesus tells him this news, he says, "No, how can this be, I love you, I wouldn't deny that I know you." But Jesus confirms to him that, yes, in fact he will deny him.

I can only imagine when Peter heard that rooster crow, just after finishing denying his relationship with Jesus, knowing full well that he does in fact know and love this man, his heart probably sank into his stomach. He probably got that all over sick feeling that you get when you know you just made one of the biggest mistakes of your life! He instantly regretted it. Probably even wished he could have gone back and said differently, stating that he did, in fact know Jesus, and was one of his friends. But his pride got in the way.

How will you react? What will you do when someone asks you if you are a Christian? Will your response be to deny knowing the Savior because we feel embarrassed of what others might think of us? Will we tell them of our decision to follow Christ or even if we are thinking about following Christ? What if someone asks you why you go to church? Will our initial response be to deny it, just to fit in? Hopefully, our pride will be overcome, and we can use these opportunities to learn from Peter's mistake and share the love of Christ. It's not easy! I have to say, when people ask me why I moved to California, it's often times difficult, knowing that they may make fun of me for our decision, to say we moved here to start a church. But those are the times when we set our own selfish pride away and let God work in those situations. Allow God to show Himself!

Dear Jesus, please give us every opportunity to proclaim our lives to you. Help our pride step out of the way, in order that your work will be accomplished through us. Amen.

Day 17-- Work and Worship

I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. John 17:4

This verse tells us two things:

1- God gives us work to do while here on earth, and

2- We give God glory by completing it.

Have you ever been dissatisfied with your job, frustrated with the current circumstances in which you find yourself? A lot of times I have wished that my "work" would be something really noble...that mine would be a life of significance punctuated with exclamation points instead of question marks. I have this intense desire for my life to count for something far greater than who I am, to make a difference and thus bring God glory.

The fascinating truth this verse teaches, though, is that God receives glory when we simply complete the work he has given us!

But what if my "work" is cleaning up after a halfway-potty-trained-child? That's certainly not very noble. What if my "work" includes doing laundry, cooking meals, playing Lego's, and trips to Target? Sometimes it's so hard to see significance in the mundane tasks of day-to-day life. But that's my work, and it gives God glory when I complete it with my whole heart and a good attitude. It gives him glory when I work as if He is my authority and not some slave-driving boss.

Let's just be honest...a lot of what you do doesn't seem very noble either. Where's the significance in selling this product, or inputting data into this spreadsheet, or filling out this expense report? You find yourself working for a paycheck, not for a cause...and that can become unfulfilling really fast. Do you need a new job? Probably not. You need a new perspective!

God has given you work to do. It includes your occupation, but it is so much more than that. Part of the "work" ordained for you is that conversation you'll have today with your colleague, the ways you show love to your spouse, the time that you invest in your children, and, yes, the mundane, day-to-day tasks of life. Part of bringing glory to God is by doing the next thing...with a heart that recognizing the call to work comes from God.

So you can drive to work for the glory of God. You can send that email for the glory of God. You can fold those clothes for the glory of God! You can do the next thing, all for the glory of God...even if the next thing is cleaning up after your potty-training-impaired 2 year old!!!

Remain in Him.

John 15:5 "...Those who remain in me and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing."

One of my biggest desires is to glorify God with my life and be used by him. To do this, I have to stay close to Jesus and allow His Spirit to guide me in everything I do and every decision I make. Often we try to do things in our own strength and our own way. We get impatient and want to see immediate results.

Take a minute and re-read the verse above slowly. It's powerful!

When we are walking with Jesus and empowered with His Spirit we will be fruitful and accomplish much for Him. Without Him, we fail. Giving up control of our lives can be difficult- especially for control freaks like me! But, after falling down and getting back up, I've realized that He really does know what is best for me and that life with Jesus Christ is the best life of all. It's a life of meaning and purpose, love and hope. Thank you Jesus.

DAY 14- Remedy for Loneliness

If you have ever struggled with loneliness at any time in your life (and we all have) this chapter has great news for us all.  Our faith feels very different to those people in bible we read about because we say to ourselves, "at least they could SEE Jesus with their own eyes and talk to Him and have Him talk back to them."  That would be nice huh?  That day will come for us.  Just as a side note- did you know that Jesus says there is a special blessing for us that have "not seen Him" and yet believed? Pretty cool huh- but we'll get back to that later in this 21 day blog.  The benefit that we have living on this side of history of the bible is that we have the Holy Spirit.  Some times, depending on your background, even the mention of the Holy Spirit can open a whole package of weirdness.  But I want to ask you in this moment to set that aside and let's look together at what the bible says in this chapter about this whole thing.  In verse 23 Jesus says this: ..."Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.  My Father will love them and we will come to them and make our home with them.  Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching.  These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.  All this I have spoken while still with you.  But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. " Wow.  Isn't incredible to see that as we obey His word and accept Him as savior, that he actually comes and "makes His home with us"  living in us?  The NIV version of the bible calls him the "advocate" but I love what the Message version calls him, Friend.  If you use the word friend in these verses, it makes the message even sweeter.  To paraphrase:  The friend will come and will teach us and live in us and remind us of everything we've learned.  It is incredible to know that even in the midst of loneliness that we have a "friend" who can be closer than our skin that wants to help guide us and knows that we can't do this life on our own.So, the Holy Spirit doesn't have to be something that is weird, He's a loving guide that never leaves us.  And lastly, it is interesting to see that this whole process doesn't start with "getting it right," it starts with loving Him.  Let's offer Him our hearts in love today and we will find that obedience to Him is just a natural byproduct of that love.  

DAY 13 - Love, The Highest Goal

John 13 starts with this phrase, "He [Jesus] had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now He loved them to the very end." (13:1) Then, John goes on to tell us that Jesus got on his knees and began to wash the feet of every one of His disciples - one by one! 

He displayed a type of love that is totally uncommon in our world.  The Master, Lord, Messiah, God Himself, washing the dirty sweaty feet of his creation.  He said He did this to "give us an example to follow" (13:15) Then He said, "now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them." (13:17).

He finished the conversation that day by saying, "Love each other, just as I have loved you, you should love each other.  Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." (13:34)

When was the last time we loved that way?  Authentic, deep, unselfish, humble LOVE.  As we learn to love, as Jesus loved, the world will then see our God.  It won't be our convincing arguments, great charisma, or relevant worship services that will "prove" to the world who we belong to.  It is our love.  

"Father, I pray that the people of South Bay Church will be known as a community of authentic love.  I pray the world around will be compelled to know who you are because of the uncommon love and humility seen in your people."

Day 12 - A Grain of Wheat Must Die

John 12:24-24 - "Listen carefully: unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds onto life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you'll have it forever, real and eternal."

I love this verse, because the metaphor that Jesus uses here makes perfect sense to me. There is absolutely no question about what He's saying. Jesus is giving us this clear and direct metaphor of something as simple as wheat to show that in order to be fulfilled in this life and the next, we have to completely give over our life over to Christ. He will fulfill His promises in our life, making us brand new each day, and saving our soul just for Him to something that is real, something that is true.

I don't know about you, but this feels like a breath of fresh air. Thinking about doing things on my own really stresses me out. I don't know what the outcome will be, why I am really doing them, and it makes my life feel like it's spinning out of control. Unfortunately, I tend to get in this pattern sometimes, where I forget to give things over to God each and every day. To cast my burdens onto Him. But this verse, allows us to see that if we do that, if we serve Him, live our lives on purpose (not the next deadline), then He will make us new creations in Him. He will give us a new life. Not to say that we won't have stressful days, but the end result will be so much sweeter, knowing that this stressful day is not all that life is about.

So, I encourage you, if you have not made a decision about following Christ yet, spend some time deciding today, praying today. Cast your cares upon the Lord. He will give you real and eternal life!

Jesus, I pray today that we would be followers of You in every way. That our lives would not be focused on us, that we would not just hold onto it; but that we would give our whole lives to you. We know You can make us brand new, we can cast our cares on You and trust You for full and eternal life. Amen

Hope out of Despair

This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it. John 11:4

As John chapter 11 opens, Jesus gets word that one of his very dear friends is sick. The messenger tells him, "Lord, the one you love is sick." No name is given; no name is needed. It's the one Jesus loves. He knows right away. It's Lazarus.

His response seems so strange, though. One of his dearest friends is sick, he has the power to heal him, and yet he does nothing! Surely Lazarus' sisters, Mary and Martha, were baffled by his lack of action. Why not at least come to sit with them, to provide comfort, to be...a friend? Instead, Jesus stays where he is and Lazarus dies.

Finally Jesus decides to go to the grieving family, four days after Lazarus has been in the tomb. I can only imagine all the emotions that Mary and Martha must have felt when they are told that Jesus has arrived. "Why didn't you come? You could have done something! He was your friend. I thought you loved him. You didn't even come to say goodbye. What was so important that you couldn't leave it to come be with him?" Overwhelmed with grief and perhaps looking for someone to blame, they likely had conflicting emotions when they saw Jesus. In their hearts, they believe he is the Messiah. In their minds, they know he is worthy of worship. But at this moment, stricken with the realization that their brother is gone and Jesus could have done something about it, they're not sure if they should beat on his chest or fall at his feet.

Have you ever been there? Has there ever been a time in your life that you've prayed desperately for something, knowing in full-faith that Jesus is capable of intervening, and yet he didn't? Have you ever asked for a miracle and been left, seemingly, empty-handed? And you're left wondering why, and what now? Where do you go when the One who is supposed to provide comfort seems silent? What do you do when what you've said you believe is called into question and answers are no where to be found?

If you're wise, you do what Mary did. When she is told that Jesus has arrived, she runs to him, falls at his feet, pours out her heart, and weeps. She brings with her all of her disappointment and her broken heart. She doesn't first comb her hair or wipe her runny mascara. She just runs to him. When Jesus sees Mary weeping, verse 33 says that "he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled." And as their tears mingle together, Mary is comforted by the fact that her Savior is also her friend. He is not far removed from her pain. He joins her in her grief.

But behind the tears, there is a twinkle in Jesus' eye...because he knows the rest of the story! He knows this momentary pain will usher in greater glory. He is about to blow their minds. Their story will be commemorated for all of history because of this awesome miracle, but they first had to walk through the grief. It had to be bleak. He needed everyone's attention. Jesus' glory is about to shine with ever increasing brightness against this dark backdrop of pain and suffering.

There was no limit to the rejoicing that took place when Lazarus got up out of his tomb and walked out! Jesus didn't want to just heal a fever. That could be explained away by the natural forces of nature. He wanted to make sure there would be no explaining this away. FOUR DAYS DEAD. That's really dead. That's "no-hope-for-reviving" kind of dead. That's when Jesus steps onto the scene and gives hope and life where there had been nothing but despair and death.

I don't know what impossible circumstance you have in your life right now. Maybe you're praying for a miracle, trusting that Jesus will come through. Perhaps he will answer just as you are hoping. But maybe, like Mary and Martha, you are hurting and confused and angry because Jesus didn't seem to show up at all. He could have done something and he didn't. Your situation is far-gone, four days dead. I want to encourage you today to run to him. Fall down at his feet and pour out your heart to him. Allow his tears to mingle with yours as you grieve together. But take a moment to look in his eyes. There may be a twinkle there that you had failed to notice and greater glory is on the way! Jesus never wastes a hurt.

Lord Jesus, help us to run to you in our pain. Help us to know that you are right here with us, offering inexpressible comfort and strength. May we praise you in the midst of our suffering, even if it is with tear-streaked faces. And may we always possess the hope that You have greater glory on Your mind!

A Rich and Satisfying Life!

There are so many voices that we hear throughout any given day. We have of our family, friends, and coworkers speaking to us, but also outside sources from the media and politicians to music, television, and movies. What are we hearing? How is it shaping our lives?

All throughout the Bible are many references to Jesus being our shepherd and those who are Christians- his sheep. John 10 is an example of one. Sometimes it is difficult for me to understand this analogy because I've never been around sheep or shepherds much. From my understanding though, sheep aren't the brightest of creatures- they can be pretty dumb at times. What is interesting though is that they can distinguish between their shepherd and a stranger just by the sound of their voice, and most importantly, they won't follow a stranger only their shepherd. I wonder how much time it took for the sheep to recognize the shepherds voice?

Reading this helps me understand a little bit more about myself and how it relates to my relationship with God. For many years I followed the "strangers" and was left confused and misguided in my life. I got frustrated that my life wasn't full of joy or peace, but hurt and heartache. When I finally surrendered my life to Jesus and had a consistent relationship with Him, my life changed dramatically. One of the most comforting things I've found about Jesus is that when I walk daily with Him, I can hear his voice amidst all of the others. In John 10:14 Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me." When I follow His voice and am obedient to it, I'm filled with peace and joy and hope- much better than the other alternative I had experienced for so long.

John 10:10 is one of my favorite verses in Scripture. It says, "The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life."

I believe this with all of my heart. My life in Jesus is far more satisfying than before. I have also seen that by following the "stranger" (the enemies of God) then my life is headed toward destruction. If you haven't experienced the satisfying life in Jesus, I urge you to take a chance and go for it. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Day 9- Mud in the eyes?

When this chapter opens we see the disciples of Jesus asking if the blind man they have encountered was full of sin or his parents?  Sometimes when we are going through a hard time or we see others going through a hard time we ask, "What am I doing wrong? Why is God punishing me? " This is our first reaction many times.  Many times we think that just because we are in a tough position of loss, whether loss of family or job or pride, we must be doing something wrong.  Look at what Jesus says here in vs. 3 of chapter 9.  He says "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."  God isn't pulling strings behind the scenes to make us fall and have a tough time in life, but what He does want to do is work through our bad situation for His glory.  And did anyone notice the way in which he healed this man?  With spit!?! Really?  There are only a few things that are more gross that he could have done.  But God wanted to show us that He is not predictable and that He will use what ever methods He chooses to come to our rescue.  So if you're going through a rough time right now, I want to encourage you to look to Him for your comfort.  That He is not only there with you in the middle of you struggles but desires to help you out of them.  Be on the watch, you never know how He'll come through- but He will, even if through some spit and dirt. 

Get Real

John 8:31-32 "To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
It is interesting how often we find Christians so focused on getting more information with very little application. I heard one of my mentors say once, "information without application leads to stagnation. information with application leads to transformation." It is not enough to just know the truth in your head, the truth must impact your heart and change the way that you live! When we make a decision to live by the truth we find freedom. When we make a decision to live by the truth we understand truth more clearly as well. If you are a follower of Christ, how did you respond to the last thing you learned about God? Did you obey the last time God led you to do something or did you delay obedience on his teaching. There is no more room for followers of Christ to avoid the importance of following what Jesus taught. The stakes are too high! The world is watching Christ followers and judge the validity of the message based upon our lives. When people look at my do they see my love for God in the way that I live and the way I treat others. It is time to take following Christ more seriously in our lives and realize that we can no longer segment his teaching. In other words Jesus says, "Get real!" These are the folks who are really my disciples. The ones who follow and obey me!! It is not enough just to listen to his teaching walk away and do nothing with it! It must change the way we live. So here is my question to take away, what is the last thing God led you to do and did you do it with your whole heart?

Seek Truth

It is quite interesting peoples' obsession with fame and popularity. Often our insecurities drive us to need validation from others' affirming if what we're doing is acceptable (to them) or not. In John 7, we can see Jesus responding differently.

Jesus's brothers didn't believe in who he was. (John 7:5)

In this chapter Jesus's brothers were getting ready to go to a festival in Jerusalem. Because the Jewish leaders began plotting his death, Jesus didn't want to go with them. Listen to how his brothers respond, "You can't become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!". It was as if they were telling him he needed to become famous to gain recognition and popularity before people could believe in him.

The Jewish religious leaders were also angry with Jesus for turning the people's attention from the Law to the heart of the law. Because of the pride of the religious leaders, their judgement was clouded and they couldn't understand who Jesus was nor where He came from. Their popularity was being threatened, and their solution at this point- get rid of Jesus rather than seek for truth.

Jesus quietly went to the festival in Jerusalem and began teaching the people. Jesus knew what was going on in the hearts and minds of those who wanted to destroy him. In John 7:18 He says, "Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies."

Pride has an amazing effect on people. It causes people to act irrational, destroying the strongest of leaders. We can see these effects in these religious and politcal leaders as well as in many of our political leaders today. The Jewish leaders hated what Jesus was doing- he was healing people, casting out demons, teaching truth, but most of all, threatening their position, popularity, and their way of life. Jesus didn't come to be famous or popular, He came to save the world of sin and give us the hope of everlasting life.

Lord Jesus, please don't let pride get in the way of knowing You and seeking your Truth. Help me to be more concerned with pleasing you than being popular.

Day 6 - Fishes?

John 6:8-9 "One of the disciples... said, 'There's a little boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But that's a drop in the bucket for a crowd like this' ".

Let's just imagine for a minute if you will, that you are standing on a mountain top. We just heard a bunch of people talking about this man who could do amazing things. You decided to follow Him for the day, listening to Him. You packed a lunch, set off on the journey, and settled in, right in the middle of a huge crowd. Knowing you had a few minutes before it began, you open up your basket with your meager meal to tide you over till dinner. Just as you break into the bread, and put the first piece in your mouth, a man comes to you, saying "Hey, you, I need that basket of food". You stop chewing, looking at him in disbelief, wondering, "is he talking to me?? Surely he doesn't mean me?" You look down at your basket of food, look back at him, thinking, "This is the only thing I brought today, there's nowhere else to get food. I'll have to wait till late tonight if I give this away". He's staring at you a little harder now, and explains, "We need this, everyone is hungry". You think to yourself, Wait, isn't this the guy traveling with Jesus? A little reluctantly, you give your basket over, hoping in just a slight way to give back to this Man who has given you so much in such a short time.

Your eyes follow him as he takes it back up to the front. Just as he does, Jesus shouts to the whole crowd, "We give thanks to the Father for this food we are about to receive". "How can that be" you think, "it was only a few fish and some bread - not even enough to fill me up for the day, maybe he got some other food from the crowd". Then sure enough, Jesus began breaking the bread and fish from your basket and dispersing it to the disciples. The disciples went around to the entire crowd, passing it out, and everyone got more than you had originally packed, and even picked up extra! When the same man who took your food came back to collect the extras he whispers his thanks. You are amazed and astonished, and settle in to listen to this amazing man!

What a unique story of being a servant. Often times, we believe we have nothing to give, nothing to contribute. This boy, really, only had the food he brought - nothing he believed was substantial. Because he was willing to allow it to be used as a gift, Jesus turned his meager meal for one into a feast for 5,000. I believe it's so important to remember that God can use anything and everything. Nothing we have is too small for Him. Often times, I feel the same way, that the talents, gifts, and abilities I have are not good enough, or can't be used because they have no purpose. God wants every part of us. He's asking us all the time, "can I have your small basket of fish? I want to turn it into something amazing and wonderful, like a feast for 5,000!" What do you have today that you believe is not good enough for God? What are you holding onto thinking that God cannot use? What are you hoarding, thinking "this is the only thing that I have to last me"? Give it to God and be amazed at what He can do! Serve Him with all your heart and enjoy the feast!

Day 5- Believe

I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. John 5:24

Did you realize that the word "believe" is used seven times in John chapter 5? Believing God is what the entire Christian life is built upon...believing what God says about himself and believing what God says about us! Not just a vague and general acceptance of the truth, but a present, active, all or nothing kind of belief upon which you're determined to build your life.

At the beginning of John 5, Jesus interacts with a man who has been an "invalid" (most likely paralyzed) for 38 years. 38 years! That's longer than I've been alive. 38 years of watching others walk around him and not being able to move himself. 38 years of being completely dependant on other people to get him where he needed to go, to feed him meals, to help him to the restroom, to change his clothes...38 years of frustration and pain and embarrassment, and the only hope that he had that his life could ever change was to lay by this pool of water that was said to have healing powers.

Then, one unsuspecting day, Jesus walked by and changes everything.

When Jesus saw the man laying there he asked him a question with a seemingly obvious answer. He asked, "Do you want to get well?"

The strange thing is, the man does not respond with a resounding, "YES!" He responds with an excuse for why it could never happen.

What an incredible parallel to many of our lives! We're paralyzed by fear, in bondage to sin, suffering from a chronic case of "I need to change but can't." And when the Healer walks by offering us a chance at freedom, we offer him some pathetic excuse for why we're stuck in our current condition.

Can I just be blunt? When the Healer asks you if you want to be healed, you should say YES!!! Don't offer him your lame excuses and uncertainties. Don't question if He has the power or means by which to set you free. BELIEVE HIM!

Jesus, right now, as you read this post, is offering you abundant life. He's offering you peace in the midst of uncertainty, hope for all of eternity, and joy even during trials and hard times. Will you allow Him to step into your circumstance and bring the healing and life that only He can give? Will you BELIEVE?

Dear Jesus, I pray that you would give each of us the faith to BELIEVE you are who you say you are and will do what you say you will do! We want to live the lives that You have intended for us to live.

DAY 4 - Key Values to Live by

My entire family is sick this morning - both my daughters have fever and Mandy (my wife) and I have sore throats, headaches, and congestion.  Pretty miserable condition.  When I woke up this morning, I made some hot tea and read through John Chapter 4.

John Chapter 4 is one of the richest chapters in Scripture and it refers to many of the core values of South Bay Church.  I used it this morning a prayer guide for the church, my family, and my personal life.  Whatever your condition is today, I encourage you to join me in letting the principles of this chapter encourage you today, bring you closer to Jesus, and guide your decisions.  Here are some of the key values in this chapter:

ALL PEOPLE ARE WELCOME - I love it how Jesus so emphatically made a statement that all people--no matter what nationality, religious background, or race-- are welcome in his Presence, if they open themselves to Him.  The Samaritan woman was surprised Jesus even talked to her, "for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans" (4:9)

Pray for all of us to have that attitude, that all are equal and welcome in God's eyes.  I'm not saying this means we can sin all we want and still be ok.  "Coming to Him" means we need to be open to His Ways of living.

ALL ARE THIRSTY FOR GOD - Jesus said, "those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again" (4:14). Reality is that all people are created with a longing for God.  He built us to have relationship with Him, and until we do, we will never truly be fulfilled no matter what we try to fill that gap with.

Pray for God to reveal to each one of us how much we really need Him.  Then pray that He would use us to show others how to drink of "his water" - and be fulfilled in Him.

WORSHIP IS A MATTER OF THE HEART - Jesus said that the location of worship is no longer important, but that "true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. The Father sis looking for those..." (4:23).  It is not the style of worship that honors Him and it is not the building that impresses Him, it is the condition of the hearts of the people - the passion and sincerity of our worship that matters to Him.

Pray that God will make us true worshippers, whose public worship is a reflection of our private worship.  Pray South Bay Church will be a community of people who worship with passion and sincerity.

SPREADING THE NEWS - Once the Samaritan woman realized who Jesus was, she instantly went to share the news with all her neighbors and friends.  She was so impacted by Him, that she wanted others to know Him also.  In fact it says that, "many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus" because of her (4:39).  

Pray that we all of us who experience the joy of knowing God would be urged to spread the news to those around us.  Pray we will take every opportunity to share the Message that helps us find true Life. 

DAY 3

"16, For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17,  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Verse 16 is probably the undisputed, best-known scripture in the entire bible.  You see it on signs and t-shirts and at football games.  Spray painted on highway overpasses and water towers.  SO... what's the big deal with this verse that would cause face painted, hairy chested, beer gut jostling men to go crazy holding this sign for us all to see at the super bowl coming up?  (that's a mental picture huh?) The reason this verse is so well known is because in one sentence it reveals God's intentions with man and his heart. Through this verse and the verse after it we see that both, his intentions and his heart toward us are GOOD!  Most people think of God as someone up there who is constantly disappointed in us and who is mad at us.  But these verses reveal to us that not only did he send his Son to die for us and save us; he did it because he LOVES us.  What a thought! That God was moved to action out of an incredible love, not an incredible disappointment. That he desires to have a relationship with us so badly that he would sacrifice the thing most precious to himself to be with us. Is there any greater picture of love than that of sacrifice? Wow.  And he says that all we need to do to be a part of this wonderful gift is to simply believe.  Believe in who he says he is, that he is the creator of all, that he came to earth as a man and lived a sinless life and died on a cross of suffering and pain in our place and that he rose again three days later.  And remember this was all done for love for you and me.  This is the single most important decision we will make in our entire lives, whether or not we believe in Jesus, not just as a teacher or someone who lived a long time ago but as a savior.  So, today I invite you to consider accepting Jesus as a savior and invite him to become an active part of your life.  If you have been following Jesus for awhile I'd like to bring to your remembrance that his heart toward you is good and his desire is to become even closer with you.  If you made a decision to accept Jesus today, congratulations, and I'd  like to invite you to share that with one of us so that we can be praying for you!  I hope that you guys have a great day 3!  Talk to you soon- Archie 

DAY 2- From Water To Wine

John 2:7, "Jesus said to the servants, 'Fill the jars with water'; so they filled them with to the brim. Then he told them, 'Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.' They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine." vs. 11, "This is the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

Doesn't it seem odd that the most holy man ever to walk the planet, with his first miracle takes simple water and creates the world's greatest chardonnay? Jesus shows up on the scene and performs a very surprising miracle. The miracle is packed with significance that runs much deeper than h2O and wine for a wedding. The world had yet to behold one who would bring true joy, peace and invigoration in the way that Jesus would touch the human heart. He took that which was plain and simple and gave that which brought celebration and joy. Jesus not only has the power and ability to turn water into wine, but he can take the empty and hopeless places in our lives and bring hope and vitality. Those things that Jesus touches Jesus changes. Today where in your life where do you need the hand of Jesus to come and bring hope and life? Ask him to touch your heart and bring joy to the empty places in your life and help you to receive the hope he has for you today. He is a personal God who is wanting you to reach out to him today, longing for you to allow him to reach into the deepest places in your heart and bring healing and change. Spend a few minutes today asking him to have his way in your heart.

DAY 1 - The Rebirth

"...to all who believed him (Jesus) and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn--not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God." John 1:12-13

This verse summarizes the reason we do everything we do. The motivation and passion we have in advancing God's Kingdom and starting South Bay Church comes from a deep conviction that those who "believe and accept Him" become reborn and enter the family of God.

Life finds meaning, purpose, and fulfillment. We no longer live in "darkness" because He gives "light" and "life" to everyone who trusts Him with their lives, no matter what is in their past. Wow, there's no better message than that!

Father, I pray that in 2009 many more people will find this new life you've promised to those who believe and accept you. I pray that You would teach me and others on our team how to live life to the fullest and take Your message of hope to the rest of the world.